But the designer's inner circle have played down reports that Decarnin has been suffering from depression, as widely reported, claiming instead that the relationship between Hivelin and Decarnin has in fact reached boiling point, with each party holding drastically different visions about the future of the brand.

Decarnin can be credited with breathing new life into the iconic French label, which has experienced mixed fortunes in recent years.

Founded in 1945 by Pierre Balmain, the couture division was closed in 2003 and shortly after, filed for bankruptcy. It also experienced a fast turn-over of designers before Decarnin joined in 2005, heralding a period of stability and thrusting the label back into fashion's spotlight.

Decarnin's ultra-sexy and gob-smackingly expensive clothes - £1,000 for a pair of ripped jeans, upwards of £10,000 for a sequin mini-dress - sparked what was dubbed 'Balmania' overnight, with his early collections being widely copied and highly coveted.

Despite the fantastical price-tags, the brand has expanded rapidly, particularly in Asia where it has opened new stores in Shanghai, Beijing, Beirut, Lebanon and Seoul, with China, Hong Kong and Tokyo in the pipeline for the coming year.

Decarnin's creative partnership with Vogue Paris' new editor in chief, Emmanuelle Alt, proved a stroke of marketing genius, with Alt acting as unofficial muse and ambassador to the brand, consistently photographed in the latest Balmain creations. Alt also parted ways with the label upon taking up her position at Vogue, choosing to focus exclusively on her editorial responsibilities.